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“Will work with Congress if Centre brings strong Lokpal”

After the vicious anti-Congress line in the Lok Sabha by-election in Hisar, Anna Hazare has made a surprise U-turn saying he will work with the Congress if the UPA government ensured passage of a strong Lokpal Bill in the winter session of the Parliament.

At the same tine, he sent out a warning to the ruling party that if the Lokpal Bill was not passed in the session, he would work against the Congress in the coming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other States like in Hisar.

In an interview to Aaj Tak before going on ‘Maun Vrat,' the social activist said that after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's latest letter to him, he was encouraged that the government would bring a strong Lokpal, the channel said in a release.

“If the government brings a strong Lokpal and keeps its other promises, why should I oppose the Congress? In fact, we will work with the Congress,” Mr. Hazare said, referring to the Lokpal Bill and electoral reforms, including the right to reject, decentralisation and more powers to Gram Sabhas.

Seeking to dispel the notion that the Team Anna was anti-Congress, he denied that they had campaigned against the Congress in Hisar at the behest of the BJP and the RSS. “I have only seen him [RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat] on TV, I have never met him or spoken to him. These are all allegations. In politics, political parties are ready to do anything.” — PTI